I Am Your Shield, Here to Protect You
by NeonBlueNinja
Summary: Oscar is faced with a dilemma: His best friend from the Reds, Jane Shepard, is leaving to join the military. Does he follow her, or does he stay back on Earth? Even more mysterious is the secret of Oscar's parents. As a baby, he was found with a necklace with origins unknown. It may be the only clue he has to finding his true parents. OCxFemShep
1. Goodbye, Old Friend

Author's note: The idea for this story came to me as I was mindlessly attempting to play the first Mass Effect on Insane mode. It's been in my head for a while, but I had no idea how to start it. Now I do.

So without further delay, enjoy.

Chapter 1

Goodbye, Old Friend

"Hey!" I heard someone say, "Hey! Wake up!" Whoever it is was asking for a beating if they thought to wake _me _up.

I rolled over, not wanting to get up. "Go away," I said groggily.

"Oscar, come on! Get up!" I recognized the deep, yet slightly seductive voice, not that my brain had started for the day. I opened my eyes to see the familiar messy red hair of Jane Shepard, my best friend and a fellow member of the Reds. The Reds are a gang on Earth, and while they aren't big, they're not unknown to the public, either.

Shepard and I met each other one day during some party or another back when our leader was kind, for a gang boss. He was like a father to me, and told me to 'mingle amongst the guests.' Who says mingle anymore? Anyway, I spied Shepard in the room by herself and decided to approach her. It started out rough at first because I was going to hit on her and ask her to join me in my bed, but I quickly convinced her that all I wanted to do was talk. During the conversation, I learned she had been a Red for a year and I offered to be a friend of hers.

And although she didn't know it, I had a huge crush on her.

Every time I look at her messy red hair and her piercing, beautiful green eyes, I become smitten…and feel like a swooning princess at the same time.

"Well, okay." I opened my eyes and sat up to look at her in the face, "But only because it's you." I winked at her.

"That's what I thought," She smiled at me. God, what I would give to see that smile for every second of my life. "Now come on, we're going to help some others out with a deal."

I let out an annoyed sigh. I hated dealing, whether I was a dealer or a bodyguard. I hated the idea of selling drugs to other people, but I've been part of this gang since I was born, and it was a lot better back then. Still, if our current boss knew I had these thoughts, he'd gut me alive. He's already demoted me from my second-in-command position from when our previous boss was alive, so any other hint of betrayal would send him over the edge.

"I hate deals. You either get shot at or nothing happens." I complained.

Shepard clicked her tongue, "Oh, quit complaining. It's not that bad. As long as you ignore the fact that we're dealing drugs." Shepard assured me. She then spoke in a baby voice as she put her hands on her hips, "Or does wittle Oscar need Shepy to hold his hand?"

"Shut up." I said flatly, trying to stifle a laugh. I was failing.

She laughed at my expense, then turned to leave my room. "Get dressed." She closed my door on the way out. While she was leaving, I found it hard to divert my eyes away from her butt. It refused to cease its swaying and rocking as she walked. It was almost hypnotizing, but my door making the metallic clink of the lock and the wooden bang against the doorway slammed me back into reality.

Sometimes I wish I had the confidence to tell her I liked her.

I pulled open my drawers and got myself into some clothes. They were nothing special: Brown coat on top of a black shirt with navy blue pants and black shoes. I then reached for the fingerless gloves I had on my nightstand and put those on, too. I had found these at a dumpster the other day, strangely in perfect condition, so I pocketed them and tossed them in with the rest of my laundry that same day and they came out a slightly different color. When I first found them, they were completely brown from the dirt and grime that covered it. After washing them, they happened to be white and black striped on the back, and completely white on the palm. I had obtained the moniker 'Zebra' amongst some of my gangmates because of them.

I exited my room to find Shepard ready to go, waiting for me. What I loved about where I lived was that Shepard was right next door to me. Since we were both orphans and best friends, we became each others' family after some time together and split the cost of two-bedroom loft in town. Living with Shepard in my mind was like being given a gift from God…if he existed.

"Ready?" Shepard asked as she motioned with her head, "Let's go."

We walked for a couple blocks until we found the three other Reds we would be with: Johnny, Francisco, and Randy. Johnny was going to be the dealer while the rest of us made sure nothing bad went on.

Once at the deal location, an empty parking garage, I put the car in park and we waited. I'm not sure why, but everyone in the Reds liked my driving. Maybe I was good, or maybe everyone else sucked in comparison to me. I always gave the condition that Shepard had to be in the front with me, as I was always paranoid of her getting groped if she was in the back without me.

At some point, we noticed another car park far away from us.

_That must be the buyer(s). _I thought to myself.

"That must be the buyers." Randy said behind me.

_Oh yeah, no shit, genius._

"Yep, I recognize the guy in the passenger seat." Johnny noted. He put his hands on the shoulders of Shepard on I. "I need you two to stay here in case something goes wrong."

Then Johnny got out of the car with Randy and Francisco as the other guys got out of their car.

Immediately, the deal looked bad. The buyer was yelling at Johnny, complaining about Francisco and Randy being there. Johnny tried calming him down, which seemed to work.

The buyer pulled out money, and he traded it with the sack of red sand Johnny had over his shoulder.

As Johnny was walking back with Randy and Francisco, the buyer pulled out a pistol and shot Francisco in the back three times, killing him. Johnny and Randy looked back and ran. Along the way, Randy was shot dead, leaving only Johnny to hop in the car.

"Go go go!" Johnny ordered me.

I quickly raised the car and sped away to the Red base.

The Red base was nothing more than a fancied up abandoned factory, but it was home to many of the Reds.

I sat down on a couch with Shepard, panting ever so slightly.

"Well…" I began to speak matter-of-factly, "That went to hell pretty quickly, eh?" I asked the ceiling.

"Yeah, but at least we're alive," She pinched my cheek playfully, "And it's all because you were able to drive away and narrowly avoid that missile." She let go and smiled.

_Wait a second…_

"What missile?" I asked.

"They fired a missile launcher at us." She raised an eyebrow, "Didn't you notice?"

I let my jaw drop and my brow furrow, "_No!_" When did they fire a missile!

"Oh, well at least you still got the honor of protecting me like you usually do." She put her arm around me, "And I'm glad we have you, or I may have been dead a while back."

I snorted, "I can't protect forever, can I?"

"Don't say that!" She said, "I would never leave your side!"

_Wait…I'm protecting her, so why is she talking about _her _leaving _me_?_

I felt my brow furrow in concern as I faced her, "Shepard, is there something you're not telling me?"

"What? No! I'd never hide anything from y-" I cut her off by completely turning to her direction and grasping her wrist.

"Shepard…" I said softly, "You're hiding something. I know it." I felt a tiny lump in my throat, "Don't lie to me."

Shepard brought her arm around me to her side as she faced me. She hung her head a moment, then murmured something I couldn't hear.

"What?"

"I said I'm leaving." She said grimly. She looked back up at me, "I'm joining the military, Oscar."

I was completely astonished. If she joined the military, she'd leave Earth… I can't let that happen.

"No…please, Shepard… Don't… Don't leave me behind," I pleaded to her, feeling my eyes become damp.

"I'm sorry, Oscar, but this isn't the life for me. I can't stay in a gang all my life." She sniffled before continuing, "I'd rather die on a battlefield that doe on the streets." I could see her eyes glistening, reflecting what dim light there was.

I could see in those green orbs of hers there was no convincing her otherwise.

"I'm coming with you!" I decided.

"What?"

"I said I'm coming with you!" I said more confidently. "Wherever you go, I go."

She smiled, and looked down and to the side. It was a bittersweet smile, a smile that did not belong on her face. "I appreciate it." She paused. "But I can't risk losing in a fight, so-"

"Look who's talking," I interrupted her, exasperated, "_You're_ the one going off to war, _I _should be the worried one!"

"Oscar, life in a gang isn't for me. I mean look at me." She moved her head down, then back up, "I'm a girl! I shouldn't even have met you! But you're a man. You can live here with no regrets."

I could feel my eyes leaking tears. How could she have said that? We never should have met? Without her, I'd probably be dead. Or worse, a stupid gangster like the other Reds.

Her other words caught me off guard. I'm a guy, so I can live with gangsters?

I looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot and lowered my voice. "You think I _like_ these motherfuckers?"

"Wha-?"

"I only joined up because the previous leader found me as a baby, and continued because I respected the man. Now, I'm only doing this so that our current brainless leader will kill me if I even try to leave." I explained to her, laying out my reason for being with the Reds my whole life. "And I thought I could live happily after meeting you."

I could see her eyes were watery, and she was sniffling a lot. She obviously was trying not to cry.

"You've been a great friend to me," She whispered, not knowing how much it hurt for me to hear her refer to me only as a 'friend,' "But this is my place in life."

"And you're saying mine is here?" I asked angrily, "With a bunch'a wannabes?"

"I don't know," She said, emotionless, "But you'll find your purpose eventually."

I absorbed all that she said and decided that she was determined to go, and go alone. It felt like a part of me was dying, but I guess that's life…right?

"I'm going to miss you, ya know? I said, eyes still watery.

"Yeah…I know." She smiled, this time a more joyful one, "I'm going to miss you, too."

"When do you leave?"

Her face dropped when I asked this. "Today."

I sniffed, keeping my emotions under control now. "How long?"

"I have to pack and go in a few minutes." Her eyes were becoming more dry as we both calmed down.

"Let me help you pack." I begged. "Please!"

She looked at me for a second and sighed while saying, "Okay."

At our loft, I helped Shepard pack clothes and other essentials into a large duffel bag.

"Hey," I asked as I was helping, "Have you gotten the top drawer yet?"

"Uh…" She sounded kind of nervous, "I don't think so, b-but I'll get it in a minute."

"No, no. I got this," I assured her.

"Nonono! Wait!"

I opened the drawer to find myself staring right into her underwear drawer.

As soon as I realized what the contents were, I slammed it shut and pressed my back against, feeling an unnatural amount of heat hit my face. I looked at Shepard who had a hand over her heart and her mouth wide open.

Well crap! Now she probably hates me for 'invading her privacy' or some shit women say.

I buried my face in knees out of embarrassment.

"Hey, c'mon pick your up." I felt Shepard's breath on my head, making my face even hotter knowing she less than an inch away from me. I'm probably past the 'beet red' stage.

I shook my head in response, muttering, "Mm-mm!"

"C'mon!" She sat down to my right, "What do you think I'll do? Slap you across the face and call you a pervert?"

I looked up at her out of confusion. Some of my confusion came from the question of 'Why is she perfectly okay with me seeing her underwear,' but most of it came from the question of 'How the hell did she know that's what I was thinking?'

"Look, you're my best friend, and probably the only person in the universe I trust right now." She put a comforting hand on my shoulder. Knowing that I was her _best_ friend and the _only _person she trusted put my mind at ease. "I'm not going to lose you because you saw what I wear under this." She ran her hands down her sides. Oh how I wished those were my hands right now.

"Thanks," I said.

As I packed other things, I kept my eyes off of her when she emptied out her upper drawer, afraid of looking again. Once all her things were packed, I took her bag.

"Just until you leave," I explained, wanting to show some chivalry before we part ways.

"Always the gentleman," Shepard teased.

I shot her an unamused look and we both left the loft.

Once there, the military recruiter greeted me with a friendly smile, a handshake, and a "Hi how are ya?"

I was taken aback. I wasn't used to someone other than Shepard being nice to me. Especially a dude.

"Uh, um…good." I stuttered.

"Ah, don't worry." He waved his forward, "Military's not so bad once you get used to it."

I quickly realized why he had completely ignored Shepard this whole time. He thought _I_ was signing up.

"Oh, no," I put my hands on Shepard's shoulders, "She's the soldier-to-be."

"Agh!" The recruiter jokingly facepalmed himself dramatically, "I apologize. Usually we have girlfriends seeing their boyfriends off, not the other way around."

Both my and Shepard's mouths dropped open as we looked at each other, then the recruiter as we both tried to explain at the same time how we were just best friends and most definitely not dating.

After our desperate and idiotic stammerings, the recruiter gave us a sarcastic, "Uh-huh," before asking Shepard's personal information. "Name?"

"Jane Shepard, sir."

"Age?"

"18, sir."

The recruiter let out an "Oh, geez," before mumbling on about how many 18-year-olds they've been getting recently.

"Okay…sign here, please." He pointed to the bottom of a datapad and handed Shepard a stylus. Shepard slowly signed her name in cursive. When I first met her, she was illiterate, but I taught her how to read and write in print and cursive. Thought I had forgotten how to make a J, so I told her to just make a fancy looking J whenever she wrote her name. I never heard of any problems she had with her signature after that.

Shepard gave the datapad back to the recruiter.

"Okay, and…" He typed a few more things on the datapad, then motioned to a military shuttle nearby. "Hop on when feel like it. You still have a minute or two before we take-off." He looked at the person behind us, "Next!"

We took a few steps to the side, closer to the shuttle.

"Shepard, I…" Should I tell her? She may die out there and may never know how I feel about her. This is my one chance to kiss her or be rejected.

"Yes?" Shepard said, eyebrow raised. She then put on a playful smile, "Don't tell me that…all this time…you've been in love with me?"

She was kidding, and faked a smile, but my stomach churned knowing that she thought it would ridiculous if I liked her.

I hesitated. I hesitated, and I hesitated, and I hesitated. Moment of truth. Do I tell her? She could…

…

_What the hell am I thinking! There's no way she'd die! Shepard's too much of a fighter…but I may never SEE her again…_

…

_No! I'll see her…even if I have to search every square inch of the galaxy for her._

At that moment, I lost control of myself and hugged her, squeezing her against my body, crying into her shoulder. "I'm going to miss you…" I sniffed, "So much…"

"Aw, Oscar…" She rubbed the back of my head. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll you because you were the only decent guy I met who didn't hit on me every five seconds."

I laughed a little when she said that.

"All aboard!" I heard some soldiers yell.

I gave Shepard her bag and waved to her. "Bye." I struggled between sniffles.

"Goodbye, Oscar." She waved me away as she stepped into the shuttle. I fidgeted with my necklace as she got on board. It was a necklace that I was found with around my neck when I was first taken in by the previous leader of the Reds. Their leader at the time took it when no one else was looking just so that it wouldn't be stolen, then took me in as his pseudo-son. I always thought it was the key to telling me who my real parents were. That's when I got the idea.

"Wait!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Thankfully, a few soldiers waved their arms, vertically or horizontally, yelling at the pilot to wait for a few more seconds.

The shuttle wasn't even a foot off the ground, so I easily jumped on.

"Oscar, what are you-"

"Take this." I unscrewed the necklace from my necklace and screwed it around Shepard's.

"What is it?" She held up the emblem to her face to look at it.

"It's a necklace the previous leader found on me when I was first on the streets. I didn't even have a functioning memory back then," I explained, "It may be the only thing I have left to find out who my real parents are."

"What?" She had a look of surprise as she reached behind her neck, "Oscar, I can't-" I grasped her wrists, stopping her hands from removing the necklace.

"You can and you will," I held up the emblem, "I will always be there to protect you."

This time, it was Shepard who lost control when she hugged me. I could hear some of the soldiers and civilians go 'Aaawwww…' We stood there, embracing each other, crying into each other's shoulders for I don't know how long. As much as I wished we could stay like this, I knew she had to go. I gave her a kiss on her cheek, getting some of her tears on my lips, and let go of the embrace. I hopped off of the shuttle and waved goodbye to Shepard as she flew away and the shuttle door closed.

The people around me dispersed and went on their ways. Some came from behind me, put their hands on my shoulder, offering their condolences for me having to make such a sad goodbye. After feeling that much comfort from so many different people, I felt a lot better about myself, and soon my eyes and naval cavities dried up.

Unfortunately, I came across Bruce, the 'bully' of the Reds. I wasn't in the mood for this crap, though. Even more unfortunate was that he saw me and smirked arrogantly.

Right now, I wasn't in the mood for his crap.

"Hey, Zebra! I see you're a crybaby now. 'Oh wah…I wost my girlfwe-"

"Bruce, if you keep talking, I'll make you stop by ripping your tongue out and shoving it down your throat." I threatened darkly and monotonously. I _really_ didn't want to deal with him right now.

Bruce didn't say a word.

"That's what I thought," I said as I walked by him.

I lied down on my bed, missing Shepard already. Maybe I'll dream about her tonight…

I fell into a deep sleep.

Author's note: If you're thinking 'Holy Jeebus that was a long chapter,' rest assured when I say that I plan for future chapter to not be as long.

If you're thinking 'That wasn't really a long chapter,' you have nothing to worry about.

Still, I tried to make this short, which became 3k+ words. Anyway, I don't have much going on right now so expect the next chapter soon.


	2. What Happened?

Chapter 2

What happened?

A lot has happened to me over the past eleven years. I still haven't seen Shepard…yet. While she was away, I sent her letters telling her of what had happened during those years. What made me the happiest man alive was when I received return letters from her, detailing her military training, and later the battles she fought in. Sometimes she didn't reply for a while, and I worried, but she always seemed to respond at some point.

One day, I had decided I had enough of our leader's crap and challenged him to a fight to the death over leadership of the Reds. No weapons, no guns, just fists. I won, of course, or I wouldn't be alive to tell this tale.

Some time after I met Shepard, I met a man who knew Judo, Tae Kwon Do, and a few Jiu Jitsu techniques. I told him the situation I was in, and he decided to teach me what he knew in order to give me another outlet in life. While I never did change the direction my life was going in, I learned discipline, confidence, and honor from him. Plus, all his strenuous training gave me some serious muscles. I wasn't bodybuilder sized, but I could be put into the group of "moderately muscular," which is saying something considering I received black belts in each art before my seventeenth birthday. My master told me to never discontinue my training of any techniques. I've kept my promise to him since. I used my techniques against the Reds leader to win.

My main problem with our leader was that he had this constant hostility doctrine in which he thought that we had to be against all other gangs all the time. However, after I took over, I got together with other gang bosses and made some truces. I didn't necessarily make allies with them, but I discussed cease-fires with all of them, telling each of them, 'We're all living crappy lives, so why make it harder on ourselves?' This rewarded me with huge respect from not only fellow Reds, but also other gangs. While not every single gang accepted, I got a good number of them to agree with me.

Additionally, I established a new rule when I was in power: No civilian casualties. Whenever I think of a man lying in the streets, I think of his family mourning him, weeping at his funeral as he lay in his casket, and I feel awful.

However, all good things must end.

Bruce decided he had enough of my leadership and held me at gunpoint at the Reds' base. He said that he was going to kill me and usurp my position as boss. What shocked me was when I found out more than half of the Reds were on his side. Most of them didn't have half a brain cell in their thick skulls, so it didn't surprise me that Bruce was able to seduce them to his side.

After unsuccessfully attempting to peacefully negotiate with Bruce, I kicked the gun out of his hand and jumped out the window behind me, landing in a canal down below. Bullets whizzed by me as I fell, and stopped after hiding under water for a few seconds. When I surfaced, I swam to shore and lurked around town as a broken man at the age of 20. I hadn't shaved in a while and I left my razor at my loft, which was flooding with Reds loyal to Bruce. Because of this, many employers refused to hire me because of me because of my scruffy and disgusting beard, saying "No one wants to look at a hobo when they want to buy (insert products they sell)."

I had no way of contacting Shepard, and I almost gave up living. On the day I decided to end my life, Lady Luck saved me. I overheard two men talking about being on business from The Citadel and that they were headed back there today.

_This could be my chance_, I thought. _I could start a new life_.

So, I followed the men to their ship and hid in a storage crate they were going to load onto the ship. The only things I brought with me were the clothes on my back and my pistol I stole from a military base. I believe it's called a "Kessler," but I may be wrong.

Once in the storage crate, I felt extremely tired and felt like sleeping. I did.

. . .

I heard a gruff voice ask something, but he was outside the cargo ship and I couldn't hear him. The ship had stopped moving, so I assumed we had landed. I opened the crate I was in and got out of the ship's cargo bay as silently as possible. I noticed a datapad nearby. I knew I'd be called out as suspicious if I appeared out of nowhere _just_ when the ship landed, so I picked up the datapad and pretended to be a dock worker. Whoever used this last was playing Solitaire and was losing.

I pretended to type on the datapad and took occasional peeks at the ship as I heard the pilot talking with the flight deck manager, neither of whom gave me a second glance. At some point, I slipped past the two, pretending to type and be on important dock worker business. None were the wiser. Once I was a safe distance away, I tossed the datapad aside and wandered around, trying to find anything like 'Help wanted,' or 'Job offering.' I came across a place named "Chora's Den.' It had a job offering sign outside. I walked in, saw the dancers, walked back out. Either that job was for a bartender or a stripper, and I do _not_ want to be a stripper. Besides, I hate strip clubs. Something about them makes me feel uncomfortable.

I kept coming across some merchants who had some openings. All of them seemed like good people, except for this turian who hid his 'Help wanted' sign as soon as I laid eyes on it.

I came across a volus who sold weapons and upgrades, asking me if I was from 'The Colonies.' He explained what he meant – that being Feros and Noveria – and I told him I was from Earth. I then had an interesting conversation with him about our homelands for about a good hour before I told him that he was at the top of my 'Consider applying here' list. He said that he would gladly hire me on the spot should I choose him.

I then asked someone walking around if they know of any job offerings nearby. He gave me directions to a place called Flux. I checked it out and met the owner, Doran. He offered me a job as an assistant bartender or a bouncer. I took the bartending job, and told him that I could act as a bouncer if needed. So, Mondays through Fridays, I tended the bar of Flux.

After working there for a few months, Doran gave me full bartending rights, meaning I could handle the bar on my own. I rarely had to help out our bouncer, as he was not only strong but he was his high school's top wrestler. He could handle individuals exceptionally, but if we ever had a group, I'd vault over the bar and help him out with the grapples and takedowns I knew from Judo and those few Jiu Jitsu moves I knew.

On Saturdays, I would come by Flux to gamble my money. For some odd reason, a good number of people find this game hard, and when they win they act like they just established universal peace amongst all alien races single-handedly. I never knew why. It's simple addition, just with a little chance thrown in. I never went to school and I could easily get the top rewards almost every time. These machines are how I earned most of my extra money.

What made me almost cry was when I told Doran I had no place to live, he _bought _me an apartment. It was in no way anything special. In fact, it was pretty much your average middle class apartment. Living room, tiny kitchen, bedroom, bathroom. That was it. But I didn't care. The only I cared about was having a roof under. Of course, this didn't come free, as he warned me that he would cut my paycheck in half until I paid off what he paid for it. Again, didn't care, place to live, yay for me.

What surprised me the most the entire time I was here was that no one ever noticed my guns or no one cared, though I kept them concealed.

I lived here for the next nine years. I paid off my debt to Doran after some time, and then bought myself a few luxuries to keep me busy: Laptop, a simple omni-tool, a TV, a more comfortable bed, and bigger and better apartment. I lived a normal life during that time. But one day, while tending the bar on a slow day, I instinctively reached for my necklace to fidget with. When I found nothing there, I found myself overcome with a flood of uncontrollable emotions and memories. I felt my eyes water, I had a lump in my throat, and my stomach churned as Shepard's beautiful face flashed in my mind. Doran noticed my unusual behavior.

"Oscar, are you okay?" He seemed worried. With Doran, you had to guess his emotion by his tone since you couldn't see his face.

"Yeah…" I could feel myself sweating bullets as the lump grew. "I…" Oh geez, I'm gonna puke.

Right on the spot, I emptied the contents of my stomach multiple times. Doran stepped back a little and waited for me to finish as customers stared at me for a few seconds before moving on.

I gagged a couple times with nothing coming up.

"Are you done?" Doran asked, voice laced with care.

"Yeah…I think…" Nope.

I threw up one last chunk-a-stuff I couldn't identify. I gagged a few more times before I felt better, though I was still sweating, and now my mouth smelled and tasted like shit.

"Now are you done?" Doran asked me.

"Y-Yeah." I sighed, and straightened myself.

"Listen, if I can help in any way, let me know." Doran offered kindly.

"Actually, Doran…" I paused, thinking if I should really tell him.

_Of course you should!_ I thought to myself, _He's basically the only person you trust on this floating squid of a space station besides Rita and Jenna._

_No! _Another part of me thought, _He'll be bored by your life story!_

"Well, it's a long story…" I began.

"Then let's go outside, okay?" He offered, motioning to the door. "Oh, and take these. Please." He handed me a few breath mint from his pocket. I gave an amused smirk as I took them and popped one in my mouth.

We walked out the door and Doran stopped at the bounce outside, "Jimmy, I need you to tend the bar for a few minutes while I head out."

Jimmy gave a comprehensive nod, "I saw what happened. I'd gladly tend the bar…after I clean it." Doran and I chuckled at the bouncer's comment before going on our way. We exited Flux and walked over to the balcony that overlooked the entire wards complex. It was beautiful. Nothing on Earth could compare to the Wards' beauty. Skyscrapers towered over multiple people, who you couldn't even see from here since they were so far away. Yet even with that in mind, you could see some of the skyscrapers clear as day, yet looked like toys. What really gave the Wards their appeal was the purple glow it emitted. Nothing in the universe as far as I knew about could compare to its beauty…

Except that of one Jane Shepard.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Doran asked.

At that point, what I threw up was not bile, but my life. All of it. To Doran. I didn't care that he might get me thrown in jail for being part of a gang, being a stowaway, or technically stealing flight deck property. I told him of my life with Shepard, my crush on her, my sadness as she departed, how I took over the Reds, even my martial arts training.

I told him of my 'no civilian casualties' rule in the Reds, which he seemed pleased about. Still, it was hard to tell when I couldn't see his face. I told him of my letters to Shepard and why I stopped sending them after a while. My escape from Bruce, my trip here, the packages on the cargo ship, my journey from the flight deck, and ended at Doran hiring me to work at Flux.

Doran hummed, absorbing my story like a plant to sunlight or a sponge to water. He put a hand on his facemask and breathed deeply many times before speaking.

"So what triggered you're, eh…" He struggled to find the right words, "Stomach purging?"

"Before Shepard left," I put a cupped hand where my necklace would be, "I gave her a necklace that was found on me as a baby. The leader of the Reds at the time let me keep it." I paused. "I think it may be the only clue I have to finding my real parents."

Doran made a surprised gasp. "Then why give such a precious thing to this Shepard girl?"

I thought for a moment. Why did I give it to her? It was… "To protect her." I said quietly.

Doran chuckled heartily. "Dear Oscar, it sounds to me like you love her. That is much more than a simple crush."

I took a step back and grunted, "What!"

"Oh come now. The necklace, the hug…the kiss. You even threw up when you were overcome with emotion." Doran explained, laughing once more.

"But that's- I mean- I- Who are you to judge my relationships with the people around me?" I blurted out in rapid succession.

"Oh ho ho!" Doran fake laughed, "Why so defensive, Oscar? Did I strike a nerve? I don't blame you for missing your girlfriend." He chuckled some more, but when he said 'girlfriend,' I immediately felt a tear run down my face for not acting on my feelings when she left. I hung my head and stayed silent. Doran noticed and became more serious, "Oh it seems I really did strike a nerve. Forgive me, I did not mean to make you cry."

I scoffed. "Doran, men don't cry," I balled my hand into a fist and tightened my biceps, "Men _weep._"

Doran laughed at me, "Of course, of course." He continued laughing. Once he calmed down, he spoke again, "Listen, Oscar, take the day off. You need it."

"Thanks, Doran." I nodded gratefully to him. "See you tomorrow." I waved and walked away.

"Oh, and don't worry about working overtime!" He called back, "This is your day off!"

. . .

I entered my apartment and flopped down on my bed. I lied there for a few seconds with my eyes closed as I flipped through my memories with Shepard. I felt happy to remember our days together as Reds. I knew her for five years and that plenty to remember her by.

I never thought I would ever see her again before I died…until that fateful day where Lady Luck blessed me like no other time.


	3. A Worried Sister

Chapter 3

A Worried Sister

Working at Flux for nine years, you get to know the barmaids really well, especially when drunk customers grope them and you have to stop them. The barmaids here are Rita and Jenna, sisters, who I'm pretty sure were twins, who both got jobs here thanks to Doran. But something's been bugging me. Normally I see both of them running around, but it seems like there was only one of them lately.

Now I was never good at differentiating twins. They told me one of them has their hair one way, and the other the opposite way, but I can't remember whose hair is which way. Still, something told me only one of them was here, and it's been on my mind since yesterday.

I called Doran over and asked him to watch the bar for me. I approached the sister and tapped her shoulder. She spun around and gave me a pretty smile, though her smile was like staring at a glass bead in comparison to Shepard's diamond of a smile.

"Oh, hey Oscar!" She said cheerfully, "What's up?"

I crossed my arms, "Well, I had a question, but I need to ask a prerequisite first…" I pointed my right index finger at her, "Which sister are you again?"

"Rita. I have my hair to the right, remember?"

Oh, yeah! **R**ita wears her hair to the **r**ight. I forgot I had a mnemonic for that.

"Yeah, Rita, I uh…" I spaced out a little. I hadn't gotten much sleep the past few days, and I seemed to stop mid-sentence sometimes.

"You're making me uncomfortable." She snapped me back to reality.

"Agh!" I shook my head." Sorry, I've had a lot on my mind, can't sleep… Anyway, is it me or is your sister not here?"

Seems I hit the bull's eye, as I saw her eyes go wide for a half second. "She's not, right?" I questioned.

"No, she's not." She said flatly, cheery attitude shattered.

"Where is she?" I asked, concerned.

"She got a job over at Chora's Den as a bartender," My heart skipped a beat at the mention of "Chora's Den,' then restarted at 'bartender.' Thank Lady Luck she's not a stripper. "She's doing some work for C-Sec, but they won't give me details. I'm really worried about her."

My protective instincts kicked in, as they always do when a damsel-in-distress was in front of me, as I voiced my subconscious: "I'll talk to her. Tell her how dangerous it is down there." Well crap, I've gotten myself into a problem I shouldn't be interfering in.

"Really?" She had a hopeful smile on her face, which made me hesitate at backing out. "What about the bar?"

"Doran's got it. I'm sure he'll understand." What the hell was I saying?

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She stepped forward and hugged me, then quickly broke free. "I can't repay you enough for what you're doing."

"Hey, no charge." Argh! I didn't mean to say that!

I strolled to the entrance to Flux. As I passed by the bar, I hollered over to Doran.

"Doran!" He looked in my direction, "I need to run an errand. I'll work overtime to make it up."

"Alright. Good luck with whatever you're doing." He called back before taking a big gasp of air.

Right before I left, I heard someone flirting with Rita.

"Hey, baby. Why don't you come back with me to my place, and we can have some fun." I could barely make out his words, but it didn't sound like he was asking for a long-time relationship.

"Ugh! Let go of me!" I heard Rita scream.

I twirled 180 degrees, quickened my stride, and punched the guy in the face before picking him up out of his chair by his head and crotch.

"Hey, man! Put me down. I was just trying to be a gentleman."

As I carried him to the entrance, I responded with a simple, "Uh-huh."

"Yeah, man, good-quality sex, like-" He was too drunk to make sense of his statement now.

"I don't want details."

"What? You too chicken to- Wagh!" At that point, I tossed him down the stairs. I waited for him to leave, then poked my head back into Flux.

"That's two, you owe me now," I hollered to the redheaded barmaid.

Okay, time to go to sleazebag central.

. . .

I made my way to Chora's Den and entered. Inside, I found the circular bar with a redheaded girl who looked like Rita, but with her hair swooped to the left.

_That must be Jenna_, I thought.

I made my way through the racially diverse crowd, ignoring the strippers propositioning me. Once at the bar, I went to Jenna's area and took a seat. She came over to me.

"Hi, what can I-" She immediately recognized me, and her tone took a more annoyed tone. "Hey! You're the bartender over at Flux! What are you doing here?"

"I need you to stop working with C-Sec." I said quietly, yet aggressively.

"What? What are you talking about?" She started playing with her hair. Tell-tale sign of nervousness. If I scold her, she may break a little, which is just what I need to break her psyche and make her come back to Flux.

"Don't act dumb, Jenna." I leaned forward. "You need to come back to Flux."

She scoffed. "Tell Rita I'm not moving an inch. I can take care of myself."

"Doubtful," I said emotionless, "Someone like you could get killed easily, especially in a place like this."

"And what the hell would you know about dangerous people?" She accused me.

I had never told anyone of my past with the Reds because I was in no way proud of it, but it seemed like now was the time to use it.

"I used to run with the Reds." I said, as deadpan as possible. I noticed Jenna's eyes grow a bit wide. I guess the Reds were well-known, even here. "Hell, I led them for Christ's sake, and now I'm being told by a little girl I don't know 'dangerous people.'"

"Look, I'll give you one minute to get out of my face before I call over the bouncer." She pointed to a nearby Krogan, who gave me an angry look.

I stared at the Krogan for a minute, and snorted and I got up to leave.

"You're making a mistake," I muttered darkly as I left.

I made it to the entrance before a drunk turian bumped into me. I was about to tell him to watch where he was going. Turned out, he wasn't very drunk, considering he spoke perfectly.

"If you want to help Jenna, meet me at the C-Sec offices later today." He uttered in my direction.

I half-smiled at him. "Thanks. Act natural, right?"

He gave the slightest of nods right before pushing me away. "Push off! I ain't done nothin' to you!"

"Watch where you walk, flap-lips."

He moved his mouth to form the words 'Not bad,' before stumbling off and mumbling something about "damned newcomers."

. . .

I found my way to the C-Sec offices over in the wards. I looked around the offices, trying to find the right one.

"Hey! Human!" I heard a familiar voice whisper. I spun around in its direction. "Detective Chellick, C-Sec."

I made my way into his office and took a look around. His office was clean, as expected, yet was fairly underfurnished.

"No offense, human, but what the hell were you thinking?" He scolded me sternly.

I felt my brow furrow, and my right arm shot out to point at him, "Helping a worried sister." I put my finger down and explained to him about Rita's request to me.

"Yeah, that's great and all, but I need Jenna in there for something we're doing." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"What?" I asked. "What could_ possibly_ make you keep sisters separated?" I asked a little sarcastically.

"That's classified information." He stated calmly.

"What's so important that you need Jenna, a simple barmaid, to do? Maybe I can help." I asked, raising one my crossed arms as I spoke, the lowering it when I finished.

He pondered my words for a moment, then put a finger on his chin, obviously deep in thought. "Actually…" He looked me up and down. "Yeah…yeah…" He came to a decision. "I'll make you a deal. You help me, I let Jenna go."

"Done," I blurted out.

"I haven't even gone over your side of the bargain yet."

"Then go over it now."

He sighed. "Humans…" He paused. "Okay." He leaned forward in his chair, motioning with his hands as he spoke, "I was having Jenna track down a drug cartel I've been hunting. However, we've figured out a place where a deal is supposed to take place. If you make the deal, I'll let Jenna go."

"You expect me to make the deal _alone_?" I emphasized 'alone' like it was my last word.

"What do you think I am? Stupid?" _Don't say anything…don't say anything…_ "You'll have two of our guys guarding you the entire time in case something goes awry." He motioned behind me. A turian and a human came forward. "I want you to meet Garrus Vakarian," The turian nodded as a greeting, "And Billy Johnson." The human nodded to me as well, "They'll be your bodyguards. If the dealer asks about them, they're mercenaries."

"Alright," I nodded, "I'll be back when the deal is done."

. . .

The deal took place at the markets in the lower wards. When I passed by Chora's Den to enter, a woman passed me by enter the doors of Chora's Den.

She had messy red hair and black armor with a single red stripe going down her left shoulder. Her armor had 'N7' on the left breastplate, and her eyes were a piercing green. She was flanked by a man in light, black armor and spiked hair, and a woman with white and pink armor with her hair in a bun. But I was more focused on the red-haired woman with an N7 on her chest.

_No way,_ I thought,_ There's no way she could be…_

I never noticed I had stopped in my tracks completely until Garrus grabbed my shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?"

I turned to face him, then back at the red-haired woman, who was now nowhere in sight. "Yeah, sorry. I spaced out a little." I laughed off my embarrassment. "Let's go."

At the markets, I noticed some storage crates and a Krogan next to them, with two turian bodyguards.

"Hold it!" The Krogan put a hand up, ordering me to stop, "That's close enough, human." I stopped, not wanting to piss off an armed Krogan with a fully automatic rifle on his back, "You got the credits?" The Krogan asked me.

"You got the weapon mods?" I shot back.

The Krogan snorted and took the mods from his pocket. He began to hand it to me, but pulled back after eyeballing Garrus and Billy. "Who the hell are they?"

"My bodyguards. Mercenaries, if you will," I extended the credits out to him, "Just to make sure I'm safe."

The Krogan glanced at me, then at Garrus and Billy. This went on for a few seconds before he shook his head, "No way," He pulled out his assault rifle, "The deal's off, and I can't have witnesses." I heard Garrus and Billy take out their guns as I accidentally pulled mine out.

_Crap! _I thought, _C-Sec wasn't supposed to know I had a gun!_

"What the hell do you think you're doing, scale-face?" I asked him. I never liked Krogan very much. Too temperamental.

"Those 'bodyguards' are C-Sec. I've seen them around."

The Krogan turned his gun and fired on Billy, who was killed by the onslaught of bullets lodged into his chest cavity.

"Take cover!" Garrus ordered. _Don't have to tell me twice!_

I dove to my right to get behind some crates. I almost peed myself when I realized I had never been in a firefight before now where I had to shoot other people. I knew how to use my gun, but when I was with the Reds we never had to deal with any goddamn _Krogans!_

Oh well, not like talking to them is going to help.

I fired my pistol and aimed for the Krogan's gigantic head. That took some heat off Garrus, who took care of the two turians easily.

He growled in anger and bashed his gun. His gun overheated!

_Now's my chance!_ I thought. _It's hero time!_ I charged at the Krogan, bellowing at the top of my lungs. He struggled to cool his weapon down, desperately blowing on it in hopes of it doing so, but to no avail.

I kicked his rifle out his hands, then grabbed his shoulders with both my hands. Next, I placed my right foot behind both of his feet and slammed him to the ground on his back. That was probably the hardest thing I had ever done in life, considering this Krogan was easily twice my body mass.

I flipped him on his back and pinned him down. I turned to Garrus. "Cuff him, quick!" I commanded.

Garrus paced over, knelt down, and arrested the Krogan.

The Krogan growled like a beast, "Stupid human!"

Garrus picked the Krogan up onto his feet with a look of confusion. "How did you-"

"I have a few black belts. Let's leave it at that," I said, cutting him off with a hand wave. "C'mon, let's head back."

. . .

When I strolled into Chellick's office, his face quickly went from full fury to absolute astonishment.

"I heard that a firefight went on at the market district, but," He put a hand to his forehead, "I didn't know you arrested a _**krogan**__!_" He looked over at Garrus. "Was this his doing?"

Garrus nodded, "Yes, sir. I put the cuffs on the Krogan after he forced him to the ground. No assistance from Billy or myself."

Chellick made an impressed snort before his mouth flaps twitched. "Where is Billy?"

Garrus spoke up, "He didn't make it," He motioned with his head to the Krogan in his hands, "His doing."

Chellick stood up, "In that case, I think I'll bring this scum to prison myself." He took the Krogan from me, then looked at me, "Listen, the deal was a scrub, but you managed to capture a valuable asset." He nodded upward, "Why don't you keep the weapon mod and credits?" I think you've earned them."

I felt my eyes go wide as I asked, "R…Really?"

"Sure, why not? Not like _we _need them. Besides, you look like you could use them." He started to leave, then looked back, "Oh, and I'll get Jenna out of Chora's Den as soon as possible."

I nodded in appreciation. That left only me and Garrus.

"Listen, I'm in the middle of an important investigation, but if you need anything, come find me." He began to walk away, "Oh, and I'll spread the word about what you did today. You may even become a C-Sec hero."

"Oh, Garrus wait!" I called out, "Do you think you could tell me what kind of mod this is?" I held up the mod Chellick gave me as a reward.

Garrus took it from me and scrutinized it for a bit.

"It looks like a heat sink." He looked at it some more. "Yep, definitely a heat sink."

"I'm not an expert on weapon mods, so…" I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Oh, right sorry," He apologized, "It makes your gun shoot more bullets before overheating." He gave a slight wave before leaving. With that, I was alone.

I checked my omni-tool for the time. My shift was over. Might as well wander the wards for the rest of the evening.

. . .

Author's note: I know that "Billy Johnson" isn't the most original name out there, but it works, right?

Also, to everyone who has read this story since the start and has waited since whenever I posted chapter two, I apologize for the wait but thank you for waiting. Thing is, I've been caught up in college applications. Anyone who has had to apply to college know how time-consuming that is, and I've been procrastinating _**a lot**_ on these. But rest assured, I'll have chapter four up quicker than I did this one.

Finally, word of advice to all authors out there: The "i" and "o" keys are very close to each other. Make sure you hit the right one, because "if" and "of," and "in" and "on" have very, VERY different connotations depending on the statement, especially the latter two; you could be _on_ somebody, or you could be _in_ somebody. Be careful what you type.


	4. I Am a Shield Protecting is What I Do

Chapter 4

I Am a Shield; Protecting is What I Do

I was taking a stride around the wards, exploring parts that I never had before. The wards are fairly large, and it usually takes a very long time to explore every solitary square inch of them. I found a few stores and apartments, but that was about it. I did find a complex that I considered getting an apartment from, as they looked bigger and better than mine, and I had the money for it. At some point, I came across a sign saying "Med Clinic."

Hm… I thought to myself, I have bee experiencing some constant headaches recently. Maybe I should drop by.

When I got to the entrance, I found Garrus caressing a gun in his hands.

"Hey, Gar-"

"Ssshhh!" He put a finger to his mouth, shushing me. He beckoned with his finger for me to go over to him. I snuck over to where he was as I was commanded to.

"There are some guys on the other end of this door who work for Fist," He explained.

I dug deep into the depths of my mind. The name was unfamiliar. "You lost me."

"He owns Chora's Den and basically the lower wards," He elaborated.

He's just like Bruce…

"So he's a punk," I joked.

Garrus snorted, amused. "You could say that." He looked at me. "Anyway, since you're here, want to help bag these guys?"

"Uh…bag?" He was confusing me left and right.

"You know, 'put them in a body _bag_?'"

"Why didn't you just say that?" He shook his head. "Anyway, my shift's over, so why not?" I joked again.

Garrus chuckled lightly this time, "If only you were C-Sec. I would enjoy working with you."

"Likewise."

Garrus smiled at me before speaking again, "Okay, here's the plan: You walk in and create a distraction while I sneak around the counter and get a shot on them."

I mock saluted, "Make loud noises, got it."

"Oh, one more thing." Garrus handed me something hexagonal. "Take this."

"What is it?"

"A shield generator. It'll work even with your clothes." I snatched it from his and put it on my back.

"Aren't these limited?" I asked.

"You'll feel a sharp pain in your core when it runs out. That means 'take cover.'"

"Got it. Just say the word."

The turian held up three fingers, initiating a countdown.

Three…

Two…

One…

He pointed to the door and I opened it. I immediately began bellowing in a deep voice.

"Is there a doctor in the house?"

All at once, the six thugs inside took aim at me. With my right hand at my side, I forced my pinky and ring fingers into the palms of both my hands, hoping Garrus understood my signal. One of the thugs took the doctor as a human shield.

"Who are you?"

I noticed in my peripheral vision Garrus was still moving.

_Gotta keep this going._

"Hey, hey, hey, now. Can't we all get along?" I offered, knowing they wouldn't buy it.

"I asked who you are!" He had the gun pointed at the doctor's head now.

Garrus was almost there. Time to pull of the finishing blow.

"Hey, wanna see me dance?" I didn't wait for a response.

I began to dance like this pop star I saw in a video online. Can't remember his name, but his hips would gyrate like a spinning top combined with a vibrating massage machine. This distracted – and confused – the thug enough for him to put his gun down at his side.

Garrus noticed this perfection of an opportunity and popped one right in the thug's temple. The doctor ran for cover as Garrus and I fired on the remaining thugs. Behind us, some people entered the clinic, firing on the thugs. I figured that if they wanted to help us, let them. I didn't get a look at them, but it didn't matter much at the time.

Once the thugs were down, I turned to Garrus, who was facing the people I saw come out of Chora's Den. I gazed into the piercing green eyes of the messy-haired redhead in the middle.

_She looks just like her…_

Garrus pointed at the redhead, "Thanks for the help, Shepard. You really helped us out there."

!

…What?

"Garrus," I said monotonously, staring at him with an expressionless face. He turned to face me. "What did you just say?"

"Why?" He questioned, "Did I say something tha-"

I lost control of the emotions bottled up inside me for eleven years. I let out a roar like that of a wild tiger, and smashed my fist into the wall next to me, cracking it.

Everyone was staring at me like I was some monster.

"Garrus, repeat yourself," My entire face felt scrunched up due to my rage, "_**NOW!**_"

"Geez! What's his problem?" The white armored woman asked, voice more snarky than I thought possible.

I turned to her, "You'll find out if flap-mouth here talks." I glared icy daggers at Garrus. "What. Did. You. Say?" I growled through my teeth.

I seemed to have stunned Garrus, as he struggled to begin speaking. Once he gained his composure, he spoke clearly, "I thanked Commander Shepard here for the help with our skirmish."

I calmed down after less than a second. I stared at the redhead in black armor.

_Shepard…no way..._

Shepard turned to Garrus, "Why is your partner staring at me?"

I approached her slowly, arms at my sides. "I…never thought I'd see you again…after I saw you off at the shuttle…" I saw her eyes go from cool and confident to joyful and glistening.

"Oscar?"

I nodded, smiling ear-to-ear. "It's been a long time, She-"

Shepard tackled me. Not to the ground, but she went for a hug and crashed into me, causing me to force out the '-pard' part of her name in a high-pitched voice. I hugged her back, squeezing her as hard as I could.

As I was embracing her, I noticed that I could smell her perfume, and I almost melted in her arms when I did. Strawberries… That was good stuff. I kept myself standing through pure willpower.

"Eleven years…" I sniffed. "I've missed you, Shepard."

I wished we could have stayed like that forever, but we were broken apart by an outside force.

"Uh…Commander?" I heard the spiky-haired guy say, "I hate to interrupt, but don't we need to talk about Garrus's findings?"

Shepard and I cut off our hug, and Shepard quickly found herself, "Uh…yeah…yeah… Garrus, what did you find?"

God, I love her voice so much. And oh how I missed it.

Garrus cleared his throat before reporting, "Well, I found out that Dr. Michel knows something about a quarian that was here on the Citadel."

"What's a quarian doing on the Citadel?" I asked, much more calm than I was before.

"As I said, Dr. Michel can tell you more." Garrus motioned to the doctor.

"Yes…" She had a German accent, "A quarian was in my clinic, and she had been shot, but she wouldn't tell me how she received the wound. I could tell she was scared, probably on the run." She paused before continuing, "She asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information in exchange for a safe place to stay."

"Then what?" Shepard asked.

"I put him in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker," Dr. Michel explained.

"Not anymore," Garrus rebutted, "Now he works for Saren."

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?" Dr. Michel sounded surprised, "That's stupid, even for him."

"That quarian must have something Saren wants. Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get."

"It must prove Saren's a traitor…" Shepard trailed off, "Did she mention the geth at all?"

"She did!" Dr. Michel exclaimed, "She said it had something to do with Saren and the geth."

"She must be able to link Saren to the geth." Garrus pointed forward, "There's no way the Council can ignore this!"

"Time to pay Fist a visit," Shepard said with a slightly naughty voice, cracking her knuckles as she spoke.

"This your show, Shepard. But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do." He stepped forward. "I'm coming with you.

"Welcome aboard, Garrus." Shepard nodded to him.

"Oh, and I heard about a krogan named Wrex. The Shadow Broker hired him to kill Fist." Garrus put out there.

"Yeah, we saw him at the bar," Ashley said.

"A krogan might come in handy," Shepard added, rubbing her hands together as if she was coming up with some diabolical plan like an evil mastermind.

"Last I heard, he was at the C-Sec offices," Garrus reported.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, lowering her hands, "What's he doing there?"

"Fist accused him of making threats, so he called on C-Sec for help. If we hurry, we can catch him before he leaves."

"Move out," Shepard ordered.

She took a step to the door, but quickly stopped. She turned to me.

"Oscar." I gazed into her beautiful green eyes. "What are you going to do?"

That was a good question. What _was_ I going to do? My mind told me at first to go back to bartending, but…that sounded boring. When that drug deal went bad and I tackled a freaking krogan, or just now in the med clinic… Both times, my blood rushed, filled with adrenaline, my head stayed focus, my instincts made me do all sorts of crazy things. Yelling at thugs, throwing a krogan to the ground - both of those made me alive. As if fighting was what I was meant to do.

But I noticed a pattern. With the drug deal, two things made me do what I did: Live to see Shepard again and to protect Garrus. When I fought those thugs, another two things made me do what I did: Live to see Shepard and protect Dr. Michel.

Both times I fought for Shepard.

Both times I fought to protect.

When you're a bartender, you don't get as much of a chance to protect those in danger right in front of you. And since Shepard is Alliance Navy now, if I follow her, we'll be sure to come across plenty of fights. And every time one comes our way, I'll be there to protect her.

I am a shield; protecting is what I do.

"I'm coming with you." I declared.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I'm going to fight with you. I don't care what you need me to do, just let me do something as long as I can fight beside you." I laid out my desires.

I expected Shepard to say no and follow it up with something about not wanting to lose me or not endangering a friend or that I was too inexperienced.

Instead, she said, "Okay," and nodded in approval.

I was shocked on the inside, but I tried not to let it show as I spoke, "Thanks Shepard." Then I realized I was on her ship where she was commanding officer. "Uh, I mean uh… Commander, I think it was."

"Oscar, you're a friend and you're not even with the Alliance," She put a hand on my shoulder, "Just Shepard."

I smiled, "Alright."

. . .

Shepard had sent the pink and white armored woman and the spiky-haired guy to the Normandy after leaving the Med Clinic, saying that she, Garrus, and Wrex – once they found him – would take on Fist and his thugs.

Once onboard, the two soldiers asked me how I wanted to help out. I asked if I could try being a combat engineer. The spiky-haired guy offered to help with my techs, and the white-armored woman promised to help me get outfitted with the weapons and armor I would receive. She also mentioned something about physical conditioning, but I didn't see it as a problem.

Kaidan, the spiky-haired guy, showed me around the ship and its different functions. There was a med bay, sleeper pods, cockpit (heh heh), galaxy map, captain's quarters, mess hall, cargo bay (which was also the armory), and a comms room.

He said that we would begin our training with techs once we took off.

"Crew, this is Commander Shepard." We heard over the intercom above our heads.

Guess it's time for her to deliver a fancy speech and convince everyone why she's awesome.

"We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit." She paused, "This is the most important mission any of us have ever been on. We _will _stop Saren no matter what the cost." She paused again, "I expect the best out every one of you. That is all."

…Or not. Then again, sometimes a long and boring speech isn't necessary to get your point across.

I made my way to the galaxy map (as I found it was called) to find Shepard giving orders to various people. After a few seconds, she stepped down and headed in my direction.

"Nice speech, Shepard," I said, leaning against a wall with my arms crossed. "I always got bored of listening to politicians give twenty minute speeches back on the Citadel, but when you gave your twenty _second_ one, I had to convince myself that speeches could be that short."

She shrugged, "Sometimes you just need to keep it simple. Get in, get out, go home."

"Right," I nodded. "So where's the captain?"

"You're looking at her." She flatly.

I stared at her with an eyebrow raised. Last I checked her last name wasn't 'Anderson.' I heard about the Normandy a number of times on the Citadel. A multitude of news reporters would go on about how it's to show that humans and turians aren't hostile to each other, that one 'Captain David Anderson' would be the – wait for it – captain of the ship with Lieutenant Commander Shepard as the XO, and bla bla bla boring stuff.

"You're the captain?" I asked, a little flabbergasted.

"As of only a few minutes ago, yes."

"Huh. So the old one stepped down…" That's strange. "Why?"

"I'm a Spectre now." She said it as if it was no big deal. Being a Spectre was like being given a blank check by God or something.

"What? When did this happen?" I pushed myself off the wall.

"Also only a few minutes ago." She said all of this as if it was no big deal.

"I see…" I stared off into space for a moment. "Well, I've found something I can do on here: Tech support. Kaidan's helping me out. And I might be able to convince Garrus to help me out with some combat techs."

"I'm sure he'll find some time to put aside." She smiled. Damn, I have missed so much of her I can barely contain myself from pronouncing my love to her.

"Oh, by the way." I pointed at her, "Where are we going?"

"Therum. We're going to pick up a Dr. T'Soni. She'll prove useful later on."

"I see. So-"

"And you're coming with me." She interrupted me.

"Wh-What?" I stammered. I was caught off guard. Why would she want to bring me? I only just started.

"I want you to be able to prove to everyone on this ship that you're not just my friend, but an excellent fighter." She stepped closer, making my heart beat faster, "Can you do that?"

"Uh…uh…" I was distracted by how close she was to my face. "Y-Yeah." I could feel my cheeks heat up a little.

"Good." She gave a quick nod. "I gotta go get my stuff ready. Catch you in a bit." She waved before leaving.

Once she was out of earshot, I gave a deep sigh. I was relaxed up until someone snuck up behind me from the direction of the stairs.

"Well, well," I heard a familiar voice say behind me, causing me to jump and spin around by reflex, "It seems the childhood friend has a thing for the commander."

It was the woman who wore the white armor. Ashley, I believe her name was. She was supposed to lead my physical training.

"Wh-What's it to you?" I asked, flustered.

"Ooh! Did I…strike a nerve?" She asked naughtily.

"Shut up," I said, walking toward where Kaidan told me to meet: Next to the sleeper pods.

"Don't deny it. I know it's true," She instigated.

"Shut up," I repeated.

"What's the matter? Don't want to admit you like women?" Okay, now she was teasing me.

I sighed and turned around to face her. "What'll it take to keep your mouth shut about this?"

"Oh, so it is true?" She asked that as a question, but it sounded more like a statement. Like she knew it was true. And I was fully aware that she knew it was.

"Yeah, yeah. What'll take? Credits? Treasure…" I hesitated to list the last one on my mind, "Sex?"

She furrowed her brow at me. "If you think I would just give myself up so easily like that, you're sorely mistaken."

I smiled, "You don't seem like the type to, anyway."

"Damn straight!" She interjected, "But anyway, what I'm going to do is use this information as leverage."

"Leverage?"

"Yes, leverage." She got right in front of me, our faces only separated by about a millimeter of air. "If you don't perform well during the physical training," I could feel her breath on my lips, which was a little distracting. "I'll tell Shepard. And the entire crew."

I felt minor rage boiling up inside me, but kept it contained as I continued the conversation. "This sounds more like blackmail."

She put a finger to her chin as she stepped back, "Oh, I wouldn't call it blackmail, I'd call it…information that could help me gain a slightly unfair advantage over you by simply knowing it."

I furrowed my brow in anger. "That's what blackmail _is!"_

"Oh," She said it as if she didn't realize that was what it was, but I just knew she did. "Then I guess you'd better do your best during your physical training." She turned and waved behind her. "See you around."

_Well, look on the bright side_, I thought, _You never were excellent with female psychology, so maybe you could confide in this Ashley about how to get Shepard to like you more in the future...Maybe…Possibly…Probably not…It's worth a try, right?_

I dismissed my idiotic thoughts, and decided it was time to start my training and headed to the sleeper pods.

. . .

Author's note: Sorry again for being late on the new chapter, but school has started recently for me. With the AP classes and the Spanish-ing, and the other classes, I'm going to be just a little preoccupied over the school year. But what'll you do, y'know? Hope you like the new chapter.


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